I was watching Vice President Joe Biden's address to Harvard's JFK School last night, and something he said struck me as being at the heart of the problem of today's polarlized politics. I have not seen it in the coverage of last night's event so you read it here first.

He told the story of when he was a young U-S Senator and the Late Mike Mansfield was Senate Majority Leader. Biden was particularly upset by something Jesse Helms had said or done and was ranting to Mansfield and it was getting personal.

Here is the story he told last night, paraphrased...everyone needs to heed these words:

Mansfield said Joe, what would you say if I told you Jesse Helms and his wife adopted a child with cerebral palsy? Biden said he would be shocked, Mansfield said a child was interviewed for Christmas and said all he wanted was parents so the Helms' adopted him...

“Joe, never question another man’s motive. Question his judgment but never his motive.”

Statesmanship is not politics...it is the ability to disagree with someone's judgement and to not make it personal. I know that I have been guilty of this in the past and I will endeavor to change my ways. That statement by Mister Biden last night really got me thinking. The advice Senator Mansfield gave is needed now, more than ever at every level of discussion, political or otherwise.

_________________America is one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Not just for people who look or worship a certain way.

News Buzzard wrote:That's nice, but FOX News has poisoned the well. They're not interested in objective, intelligent discussion. They're only interested in taking out Obama.

Do you watch MSNBC? I do (and I never watch Fox unless it is flipping channels)

Very rarely, but MSNBC relies more on facts rather than the Obama trashing narrative. Someone has to combat the trash coning out of FOX.

How can you say that, given the fact that you very rarely watch it

EXACTLY what I was going to say, red. He just parrots what he hears. He has no idea. I listen to Fox a lot and it is just the left's way of attacking a perfectly great news channel. The libs. don't like it because Fox refuses to do the President's bidding no matter what like all the other channels. Fox tells it like it is. It is just politically correct now to attack Fox.

Fox News lost any and all of my respect for objective journalism when they donated $1-Million to the Republican Governor's Association followed by an equal donation to the National Chamber of Commerce. A spokesman issued this statement regarding the RGA donation:

"News Corporation believes in the power of free markets, and the RGA's pro-business agenda supports our priorities at this most critical time for our economy," a company spokesman told Smith.

Not very objective, not even a hint of objectivity!

Granted other media organizations make political donations, but they are always in much smaller amounts and equally split between the parties.Fox "News" is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the ultra right wing of the party and has admitted as much.

Post WHL Today at 4:59 pmSo you think it's a bad thing to believe in free markets, observant? If you don't believe in free markets, what do you believe in?

Not at all but it IS a bad thing for an alleged news organization to be giving $1-million to the committee of one party, and a second $1-Million to an organization that is a strong backer and lobbyist organization for that party then publicly stating that The Republican Governors Association represents Fox's priorities.

Shouldn't that priority be reporting the news in a factual manner?

Something else to consider. Roger Ailes, President of Fox News, the man with editorial control and the man who approved the donations. Do you know his background? Journalist? Nope, a political operative for Nixon, Reagan, George HW Bush and George W Bush.

Certainly MSNBC is left leaning but only Fox disavows everything other than conservative thinking and even provides monetary support to conservative political parties and organizations.

The video that NewsHawk kindly provided regarding Fox calling for the isolation of the United States to prevent the Ebola virus from spreading here and criticizing the President for not issuing the orders is a perfect example of trying to manipulate the message instead of giving the public the best information available.

NewsHawk, Yes The Daily Show has done shows on Ebola, you should check it out either online or On Demand

_________________America is one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Not just for people who look or worship a certain way.

obervantone wrote:NewsHawk, Yes The Daily Show has done shows on Ebola, you should check it out either online or On Demand

It is not presented as "news", but of sarcasm. I hope The Daily Show wakes up this criminal administration. Flights from afflicted west African countries should be stopped—last month!!!

What is Obozo waiting for?

obervantone wrote:The video that NewsHawk kindly provided regarding Fox calling for the isolation of the United States to prevent the Ebola virus from spreading here and criticizing the President for not issuing the orders is a perfect example of trying to manipulate the message instead of giving the public the best information available.

Obama's "responses" have been inept at every recent news-stories recently. We're "sorta" fighting ISIS, and the CDC is trying to calm fears of an incredible, advancing pandemic. The man who flew to Dallas knew he had Ebola, and he is not an American! His condition has been changed to "critical".

The Spanish Flu killed millions in 1918, but "only" killed 20% of those afflicted. Ebola (and other hemorrhagic diseases) kills nearly everybody who comes in contact with them. (Plus, the primates who were test subjects).

.

_________________..."The beauty of being a liberal is that history always begins this morning..."

WHL Today at 7:55 amI bet the liberal channels give just as much to the Dems. It all comes out sooner or later.

No the "liberal channels" I assume you mean the ones that tell more than one side of a story, do not contribute that kind of money. It is a matter of public record, If you or a corporation or union donate money to a political organization then it must be recorded in with the Federal Election Commission's Office of Campaign Finance which is public record. That is how the Fox News donation to the Republican Governors Association was discovered. Fox News and the RGA did not issue a press release, in fact Fox News never reported it at all to their viewers.

New Hawk responding about The Daily ShowIt is not presented as "news", but of sarcasm.

Which is why I did not include it when I listed the ratings of news organizations. The Daily Show is a comedy show based on current events that has nearly as many viewers at Fox News.

News HawkObama's "responses" have been inept at every recent news-stories recently. We're "sorta" fighting ISIS, and the CDC is trying to calm fears of an incredible, advancing pandemic. The man who flew to Dallas knew he had Ebola, and he is not an American! His condition has been changed to "critical".

The Spanish Flu killed millions in 1918, but "only" killed 20% of those afflicted. Ebola (and other hemorrhagic diseases) kills nearly everybody who comes in contact with them. (Plus, the primates who were test subjects).

And I say to you that if The President had taken exactly the course of action that your Fox "news" report is demanding, that Fox News and conservatives would be screaming that the President is overstepping his authority and instituting what amounts to martial law and should be impeached. Fox News and most right wing conservatives (not moderates) are anti-Obama, (as the Fox News statement supporting the RGA proved) even when the initiative that Obama supports and they now oppose was a conservative imitative to begin with. So here is where I use a word that I have not used so far in the debate with the party of NO.....racism. Beginning with the Birthers. John McCain was not born in the US, neither was Mitt Romney, but I have not seen Birther movements concerning either of them.

This country has to come back to debate on all levels, not hate mongering on radio and misinformation on TV. Question a person's judgement on issues, do not fabricate "truths" and make things personal. Unless we get back to that, Democracy is in trouble.

_________________America is one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Not just for people who look or worship a certain way.

No the "liberal channels" I assume you mean the ones that tell more than one side of a story, do not contribute that kind of money.

You have got to be kidding me if you think the liberal channels tell more than one side of a story. They are more liberal than Fox is conservative. Check out how many times those channels report negative Obama stories vs how many times they report positive Obama stories. Don't, please don't tell me you haven't heard these numbers before.